For me I try to avoid the high street as much as possible. It is much more efficient and convenient to browse Amazon, compare prices, check reviews etc than it is to pay for parking, deal with crowds, queues and the rest of the annoyances associated with high street shopping. I think the way we shop for music, films and books has changed. In the 90s it was all about the megastores, everything under one roof, less specialised and knowledgeable staff. Now it is about online purchases and downloads. I think (and hope) that smaller record and book stores will survive and thrive in the future.

I feel sorry for the people who work there and the customers who've lost money but as for the company, screw 'em The likes of HMV and Virgin killed off the local independent shops. It's their turn now.

"I own up. I am a serial risk taker. I live in a flood zone, cycle without a helmet, drink alcohol and on Sunday I had bacon for breakfast."

Spent 25 quid in HMV on Sunday. That was a rare occurance though.
In Blackburn, the shop across from HMV as just closed (Bee.com) and the sad reality is that high street shopping for entertainment is quickly heading towards extinction.

I stopped going into the Hull branch when the replaced the vinyl section with games and DVD's now I know they had to move with the times but to get rid of it totally lost them a lot of customers as it was the only place in the city to buy new vinyl after the local independent shop shut down.

On the plus side, mate, a couple of the local second hand dealers have filled that gap and are now selling brand new vinyl as well. I much prefer giving my money to them than to HMV.

"I own up. I am a serial risk taker. I live in a flood zone, cycle without a helmet, drink alcohol and on Sunday I had bacon for breakfast."

On the plus side, mate, a couple of the local second hand dealers have filled that gap and are now selling brand new vinyl as well.

Unfortunately, that isn't happening often enough, and the number of second-hand shops has also plummeted over the last 10-15 years, although there are signs that it has stabilised (albeit at a depressingly low number).

Between the optimist & the pessimist
The difference is quite droll:
The optimist sees the doughnut,
The pessimist sees the hole.

I feel sorry for the people who work there and the customers who've lost money but as for the company, screw 'em The likes of HMV and Virgin killed off the local independent shops. It's their turn now.

I have to say that shopping in an HMV shop, mainly in Market Street Manchester, has consistently been one of the most miserable, depressing and ultimate fruitless episodes of my life. Awful. I only did it a few times.

HMV has been in terminal decline for many years, its successive owners and managers just not capable of adapting to the tidal wave of change that the Internet has stimulated, in the same way that many independents have not responded either. It's just that independents have more flexibility with their finances and can run almost as a hobby if they want, just to stay open..or give up. Had there not been an HMV or had there not been Tower, or Virgin, the bigger influnces would still have been there in my view. You certainly can't uninvent the Internet and protectionism does not work, either.

There are of course independents who have adapted but in my view to blame HMV is incorrect. There is a bigger influences here: is is about identifying trends and embracing change, its about excellence in customer service, is about identifying needs and meeting them et.

Of course HMV has embarked upon a number of failed revamps which as left itself in huge debt and it is that debt that has proved unsustainable. I too fell sorry for the 4000 whose jobs are at risk - none of this is their fault.

We may all end up with a high street like mine, almost totally made up of establishments offering the multitudinous delights of payday loans, crispy fried gristle, bookies, pound shops and a lot of former independent family-run shops (with now-permanently closed shutters).

But we've saved a quid here and there on the occasional DVD.

Between the optimist & the pessimist
The difference is quite droll:
The optimist sees the doughnut,
The pessimist sees the hole.

Whilst there are many similarities between the Jessops and HMV situations, I'd suggest there are differences in their respective markets. Some items, such as expensive cameras, clothes, etc, people often like to touch, try on, etc before purchasing. In such cases, whilst high street stores need to be competitive price wise, I'd suggest it is not always the only issue. Good service also matters here, which is why people will often be prepared to pay a small premium to buy somewhere that they get good technical advice and service rather than online.

Other products, such as CDs/DVDs/books etc are probably very price sensitive on the whole, as people simply want the lowest price. Spending £1k on a camera, you probably want to talk the purchase over with someone who knows the product. Spending a £10 on a DVD, you don't.

HMV suffered due to being unable to compete on price, even if the price difference was small.

Jessops suffered by trying to get customers in store with competitive prices for their cameras, then fleece them by charging way over the odds for accessories, such as the £40 they wanted to charge me for the memory card I bought online for £11 when I'd just spent £400+ on a camera from them.

We may all end up with a high street like mine, almost totally made up of establishments offering the multitudinous delights of payday loans, crispy fried gristle, bookies, pound shops and a lot of former independent family-run shops (with now-permanently closed shutters).

But we've saved a quid here and there on the occasional DVD.

But maybe the old High Street is no longer required. That may be sad, but what's the point of keeping things alive for nostalgiac reasons.

I don't like the make-up of town centres now with so many cheap and nasty shops, but I wonder if over time we will see more town centre homes with smaller high streets. I don't see that as a bad thing.

EDIT: also, it is not just about saving a quid or two here and there. It's about being able to shop 24:7, not having to pay to travel into town, not having to put up with the crowds, and then not necessarily finding the exact goods you want.High Street's were built way before we had other, easier options.

I think there will be a place for high street shopping, albeit reduced. Some people just prefer to go to a shop and buy things. Its like predictions of the death of print, some people will always prefer a physical copy of a book or mag rather than an electronic one.

I remember when videos became commonplace, people who knew, (!) said it was the end of the cinema....who would pay to go to the cinema when you can watch at home? Cinema is still here and possibly bigger than it was then.

I think there will be a place for high street shopping, albeit reduced. Some people just prefer to go to a shop and buy things. Its like predictions of the death of print, some people will always prefer a physical copy of a book or mag rather than an electronic one.

I remember when videos became commonplace, people who knew, (!) said it was the end of the cinema....who would pay to go to the cinema when you can watch at home? Cinema is still here and possibly bigger than it was then.

I agree. I would never buy clothes online for example.

Unfortunately because the decline has been so quick, we now see many properties being used by the loan companies, pound shops etc. but I think over time this will settle down and High Streets will just become more condensed.

People still want to go out to eat, drink, buy clothes, meet people etc. The High Street needs to change.

But maybe the old High Street is no longer required. That may be sad, but what's the point of keeping things alive for nostalgiac reasons.

I don't like the make-up of town centres now with so many cheap and nasty shops, but I wonder if over time we will see more town centre homes with smaller high streets. I don't see that as a bad thing.

EDIT: also, it is not just about saving a quid or two here and there. It's about being able to shop 24:7, not having to pay to travel into town, not having to put up with the crowds, and then not necessarily finding the exact goods you want.High Street's were built way before we had other, easier options.

What about those without access to the internet? There must be millions of people who have never, and will never shop on-line.

"it is a well known fact that those people who most want to rule people are, ipso facto, those least suited to do it."

What about those without access to the internet? There must be millions of people who have never, and will never shop on-line.

As generations pass, that part of the population will almost certainly drop to a very small number. There'll always be some, for whatever reason, but there won't be enough for any business to see them as a significant factor.

Between the optimist & the pessimist
The difference is quite droll:
The optimist sees the doughnut,
The pessimist sees the hole.